Can washing and feeding mechanism



March 22, 1932. c. H. AYARS CAN WASHING AND FEEDING MECHMJISM' 4 She ets-Sheet Filed Oct. 14. 1930 j i) x I INVENTOR [I harl a s H .Ayar s H1 A TTORNEY March 22, 1932. c, AYARS I 1,850,067

CAN WASHING AND FEEDING MECHANiSM Filed Oct. 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS: Ch lmvglvrjgl ar' as yer-s. lam

21.5 ATTORNEY March 22, 1932. c. H. AYARS CAN WASHING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 14, 1930 4 Sheets-Shem.

INVENTOR Charles I-LAyar-s;

WI TNESS HIS ATTORNEY March 22, 1932. CH. AYARS 6 CAN WASHING AND FEEDING MECHANI$M Filed 001:. 14, 1930 4 Sheets-sheaf 4 ET E WITNESS: INVENTOR I Charles Hfxyara H15 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. v 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. AYABfiwOF SALEM, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN'OR TO AYABS 003-:

Pm, OI SALEM, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW CAN WASHING AND FEEDING HEGHANISK Application fled mm 14, 1980. Serial 1T0. 488,577.

This invention relates to can washing and feeding mechanisms, and has for an object to provide improved means for feeding the cans to a canning machine, and to simultaneously wash the cans and drain them, before such de-v livery. 1

Cans, as delivered to a cannery, are supposed to be of new material and clean. However, in transit, and handling, dust and other extraneous material will find lodgment in the cans, and it is necessary to remove this, in some manner, before introducing the commodity into the can. In the present instance, this is accomplished by the use of jets of water, under pressure, which are projected through properl constructed nozzles into the open ends o the cans, thereby washing from the cans, the accumulation, and then providing means for draining the water from the cans after such washing, then righting the can to its upri ht position 'for feeding to the canning mac ine proper. n

The object of the invention is, therefore, to provide mechanical means for accommodating a plurality of cans, such means being operable to adjust itself to difl'ere'nt sizes of cans,- and with other mechanical means for accomplishing the functions following such manipulation 'of the cans.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with a housing having adjustable walls, a screw, or worm, which will remove cans from such housing, and tilt them to such an inclination as will drain the injected water therefrom, and then .fromsuch inclination tilt the can from draining position to an upright position, and in its upright position deliver it to the canning machine. i

Theinvention is directed to other objects and possesses other features of novelty and advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

- Inthe .drawings:

- Figure 1 is a view of the improved can washing and feeding mechanism, inside elevation,

, Figure 2 is a top tan view of the feeding mechanism, showing the housing, or stackcontaining "art in section, as indicated by a line 2-2 ofigure 1,

Figure 3. is a vertical sectional view through the can containing housing, showing the initial introduction of. the can to the worm,

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are respectively tran'sverse sectional views taken on ,lines similarly deslgnated m F g. 1;

Flgure 8 1s a transverse sectional view through the housing, taken on line 88 of Figure 1, with the housing empty, and all cans removed, and a Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of one of the adjusting plates within the housing.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The can washing and feeding mechanism, which forms the subject matter of this application, is designed to operate in conjunction with any type of canning, machine. At 10',

in Figure 2, 'is shown an arc, indicating schematically, a rotating canning machine,

or canning machine embodying rotating arts. Such canning machine, may in fact, e only a filling machine, or perform any intermediate step between the feeding and thecomplete closing of the can, with the commodity therein, and the device is in no waylimited to such intermediate association.

Erected at any approved position, adjacent to the intermediate mechanism, is a -housing'11, of such size and proportion as to I accommodate adjusting plates or walls 12 and 13 therein, These adjusting plates 12 and 13, are for 'the vpur ose of accommodating cans of different sizes, and the adjustment is made by means of screws 14, inserted through two sides of the housing, with any convenient means for manipulation, as the winged nuts 15.

One of these plates, as for instance, the plate 12, is provi ed'with a plurality of openrngs 16, groperly positioned in registry with nozzles 1 ,1 so that water ejected through said nozzles 17 will be also injected into the open ends of the cans 18 ,'arranged in a stack within said housing. I

As the lowermost can is removed from the housing, in the manner and by the mechanism hereinafter to he more fully explained,

, the stack of cans with in the housing is fed,

by gravity, down so that each can is succese sively subjected, to a plurality of streams of wiater under pressure ejected from the noz- 2 es. Within the lower part of the housing, an extending outwardly therefrom, is a worm, comprising the core 19, and fin 20. This worm is driven in any approvedmanner, as by means .of the beveled gears 21, and sprocket chain 21, which will take power from any-moving part of the filling machine, or other intermediate mechanism, so as to operate in timed relation with a step-by-step action with said intermediate mechanism.

The lower'can of the stack, is' delivered onto the worm in an inclined position, as shown at 22, such inclination being effected by means of a guide rail 23which engages the bottom of the can, a guide rail 24 which engages the top of the can, and an intermediate guide rail 25, which will engage the can approximately at the middle, and will maintain the can at the inclination as shown at Figure 5, for instance. 7 There has been chosen for this inclination, merely as an illustration, an angle approximating but it is to be understood, that the angle may be varied, as found convenient, the only req uisite being, that it needs suflicient inclina-' tion to drain the wash water from the can. The wash. water drained from the can is caught by a trough 26, underlying the worm, and a conduit 27 has been shown to conduct this water away.

From this initial position on the worm, at the angle shown at Figure 3, the can is gradually rotated. The numeral 22, indicating the can,'a s shown at its initial inclination at Figure 3, has been employed throughout several figures to indicate the movement of one can. Therefore, it will be seen that from the initially inclined position, shown at Figure 3, the can is gradually tilted through the several positions shown at Figures 4 and 5, to a horizontal position shown at Figure 6. At this position, the guide rail 24, is provided with an acutely inturned bend 28, which together with the fin of the worm, quickly rotates the can a quarter turn from the horizontal shown at Figure 6, to the vertical, or upright position, shown at Figure 7. This later, or upright position, is shown in Figures l and 2, and is designated by the number 22. The fin 20, at this point, is provided with a part 20 of much greater pitch than the other convolutions ofthe worm, providing a kick for the can at the position 22', so

that it will be moved quickly and with a snap into the passage provided by the guide rails 29 and 30, which conduct the cans, or a series of cans, as circumstances may dictate to the intermediate machine 10.

In operation, cans will be introduced into the housing 11 manually, or by the employment of any approved types of mechanisms,

or instrumentalities. They will be intro- (luced with the open ends of the cans directed to and against the adjustable plate 12, so

that in passing downwardly, within this housing, the open ends of each can will successively pass the openings 16, and the registering nozzles 17 .Water, under pressure, will be introduced through the nozzle 17, and forcibly into said open ends of the cans, to thoroughly wash the cans. It is obvious, that this water introduced may be hot water, or cold water, and the water introduced through the first opening, may contain a solvent, and the later nozzles may introduce merely rinsing water. Thishowever, is a matter of practice, and may be employed as conditions make desirable, and the invention and patent is in noway concerned with the manner of use.

As the worm rotates, the lowermost can is engaged by the fin 20, and is withdrawn from the housing, and maintained in an inclined position for such length of time in transit that the wash water is drained therefrom. The angle -of inclination, as has been explained, may be varied at will, and the showing is merely illustrative. By the action of, the worm, and the several guide strips 23, 2a and 25, the can is gradually righted from such inclined position, to a horizontal position, from which position it is suddenly moved to an upright position, by the action of the M worm, and the guide finger 28.

The upright can is now in position to be ki cked by the fin section 20' which will force the said can, and any preceeding cans in the runway, toward and into the intermediate machinery with a snap. By having this apparatus operating in step with the intermediate machine, the can is kicked into the intermediate machine at the exact moment such machine presents mechanism for re ceiving the can.

Of course, the can washing and feeding mechanism, herein illustrated, may be modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A can washing and feeding mechanism comprising a housing having side walls adjustable inwardly or outwardly to accommodate varying sizes of cans, one of said'walls being provided with perforations, inlet nozzles registering with said perforations and adapted to eject fluid through said perfora- 1 tions, said housing and adjustable walls being properly positioned to accommodate a stack of cans with the open ends adjacent to said perforations, and means communicating withsaid housing functioning to remove and adapted to eject fluid through said per -v forations into the open ends of cans contained the lowermost can from said position, said can being positioned thereby at a draining inclination, and to tilt said can from said inclination to an upright position.

2. A can washing and feeding mechanism comprising a housing having a perforated wall therein adjustable inwardly or outwardly to accommodate varying sizes of cans in a stack within said housing,nozzles inserted through a wall of the housing and in registry with the perforations of the adjustable wall in said housing, and a worm having one end introduced into the lower portion of said housing adapted to withdraw cans serially from said housing, and conduct them to a position of further functioning, means eooperating with the worm tending to position said cans initially at a draining inclination en route.

3. A can washing and feeding mechanism comprising a housing having walls positioned to accommodate cans in a stack therein, one of said walls being provided with perforations registering at times with the open ends of the stack of cans, nozzles positioned to register with said perforations and to eject fluid through said perforations into the open ends ofsaid cans, a worm positioned in the bottom of said housing and functioning to withdraw the lowermost can from said housing and guide rails associated with said worm tending to hold said withdrawn can initially at a draining inclination and to convey said can to a position of further functioning, said rails being shaped to tilt said can from said draining position to an upright position as it is moved along by said worm.

4. A can washing and feeding mechanism comprising a housing having walls properly related to maintain a stack of cans therein in recumbent positions, one of said walls being provided with perforations registering with said recumbent cans, jet nozzles positioned to eject fluid through said perforations into the open ends of the cans, a worm having one end introduced into the bottom of said housing and functioning to remove the lowermost can therefrom, guide rails associated with said worm functioning with said worm to position the can first at a draining inclination the rails being shaped to gradually rotate said can to a horizontal position, one of said guide rails being further provided with means for coaction with the worm to suddenly tilt saidhorizontal can to a vertical position, said worm being provided with a fin extension functioning to kick said vertical can along a guide way provided therefor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my .name to this spegilfication.

HABLES H. AYARS. v 

